Effect of glycopyrrolate on vasopressor requirements for non-elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to investigate whether prophylactic use of glycopyrrolate decreases the vasopressor requirements to prevent hypotension following spinal anesthesia during non-elective cesarean section. METHOD: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 258 patients undergoing non-elective cesarean section were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intravenous 0.2 mg glycopyrrolate or normal saline (placebo) before spinal anesthesia. The primary outcome was phenylephrine equivalent needed intraoperatively. Secondary outcomes included incidences of maternal hypotension, reactive hypertension, bradycardia, need for atropine, tachycardia, intraoperative nausea/vomiting, shivering, pruritus, dry mouth, dizziness; neonatal APGAR score at 1 min and 5 min, neonatal resuscitation needed, NICU admission and neonatal death. RESULTS: Three patients withdrew from the study due to failed spinal anesthesia. 128 patients in the glycopyrrolate group and 127 patients in the placebo group were analyzed. The mean phenylephrine equivalent needed was 1108.96 µg in the glycopyrrolate group and 1103.64 µg in the placebo group (mean difference, 5.32 µg [95% CI - 67.97 to 78.62]; P = 0.88). Hypotension occurred in 38 patients (30%) in the glycopyrrolate group as compared with 49 patients (39%) in the placebo group (P = 0.13). Tachycardia was reported in 70% of the participants in the glycopyrrolate group and 57% of those in the placebo group (P = 0.04). No statistically significant difference was noted in hypotensive episodes > 1, reactive hypertension, bradycardia, need for atropine, nausea, vomiting, shivering, and dry mouth between the two groups. Neonatal outcomes were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic use of glycopyrrolate does not decrease the requirements of vasopressor to prevent hypotension in non-elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number: NCT04401345. Date of registration: 26/05/2020. Website: https://clinicaltrials.gov.

Association of preoperative pain catastrophizing with postoperative pain after lower limb trauma surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an association between preoperative Nepali pain catastrophizing scale (N-PCS) scores and postoperative pain intensity and total opioid consumption. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study we enrolled 135 patients with an American Society of Anaesthesiologists physical status I or II, aged between 18 and 65 years, and scheduled for surgery for lower-extremity fracture under spinal anaesthesia. Maximum postoperative pain reported during the 24 h was classified into two groups, no-mild pain group (Numeric rating scale [NRS] scores 1-3) and a moderate-severe pain group (NRS 4-10). The Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare the association between the baseline N-PCS scores and outcome variables, i.e., the maximum NRS pain score and the total tramadol consumption within the first 24 h after surgery. Logistic regression models were used to identify the predictors for the intensity of postoperative pain. RESULTS: As four patients violated the protocol, the data of 131 patients were analyzed. Mean N-PCS scores reported by the moderate-severe pain group was 27.39 ± 9.50 compared to 18.64 ± 10 mean N-PCS scores by the no-mild pain group (p < 0.001). Preoperative PCS scores correlated positively with postoperative pain intensity (r = 0.43, [95% CI 0.28-0.56], p < 0.001) and total tramadol consumption (r = 0.36, [95% CI 0.20-0.50], p < 0.001). Preoperative pain catastrophizing was associated with postoperative moderate-severe pain (odds ratio, 1.08 [95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.15], p = 0.006) after adjusting for gender, ethnicity and preoperative anxiety. CONCLUSION: Patients who reported higher pain catastrophizing preoperatively were at increased risk of experiencing moderate-severe postoperative pain. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03758560.

Analgesic effects of intravenous ketamine after spinal anaesthesia for non-elective caesarean delivery: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine if low dose intravenous ketamine is effective in reducing opioid use and pain after non-elective caesarean delivery. DESIGN: Prospective, randomised, double-blind. SETTING: Tertiary hospital, Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal PARTICIPANTS: 80 patients undergoing non-elective caesarean section with spinal anaesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were allocated in 1:1 ratio to receive either intravenous ketamine 0.25 mg/kg or normal saline before the skin incision. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the total amount of morphine equivalents needed up to postoperative 24 hours. Secondary outcome measures were postoperative pain scores, time to the first perception of pain, maternal adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, hypotension, shivering, diplopia, nystagmus, hallucination) and neonatal Apgar score at 1 and 5 min, neonatal respiratory depression and neonatal intensive-care referral. RESULTS: The median (range) cumulative morphine consumption during the first 24 hours of surgery was 0 (0-4.67) mg in ketamine group and 1 (0-6) mg in saline group (p=0.003). The median (range) time to the first perception of pain was 6 (1-12) hours and 2 (0.5-6) hours in ketamine and saline group, respectively (p<0.001). A significant reduction in postoperative pain scores was observed only at 2 hours and 6 hours in the ketamine group compared with placebo group (p<0.05). Maternal adverse effects and neonatal outcomes were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous administration of low dose ketamine before surgical incision significantly reduced the opioid requirement in the first 24 hours in patients undergoing non-elective caesarean delivery. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03450499.

The effect of intraoperative lidocaine infusion on opioid consumption and pain after totally extraperitoneal laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: As a component of multimodal analgesia, the administration of systemic lidocaine is a well-known technique. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of lidocaine infusion on postoperative pain-related outcomes in patients undergoing totally extraperitoneal (TEP) laparoscopies inguinal hernioplasty. METHODS: In this randomized controlled double-blind study, we recruited 64 patients to receive either lidocaine 2% (intravenous bolus 1.5 mg. kg - 1 followed by an infusion of 2 mg. kg- 1. h- 1), or an equal volume of normal saline. The infusion was initiated just before the induction of anesthesia and discontinued after tracheal extubation. The primary outcome of the study was postoperative morphine equivalent consumption up to 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain scores, nausea/vomiting (PONV), sedation, quality of recovery (scores based on QoR-40 questionnaire), patient satisfaction, and the incidence of chronic pain. RESULTS: The median (IQR) cumulative postoperative morphine equivalent consumption in the first 24 h was 0 (0-1) mg in the lidocaine group and 4 [1-8] mg in the saline group (p < 0.001). Postoperative pain intensity at rest and during movement at various time points in the first 24 h were significantly lower in the lidocaine group compared with the saline group (p < 0.05). Fewer patients reported PONV in the lidocaine group than in the saline group (p < 0.05). Median QoR scores at 24 h after surgery were significantly better in the lidocaine group (194 (194-196) than saline group 184 (183-186) (p < 0.001). Patients receiving lidocaine were more satisfied with postoperative analgesia than those receiving saline (p = 0.02). No difference was detected in terms of postoperative sedation and chronic pain after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative lidocaine infusion for laparoscopic TEP inguinal hernioplasty reduces opioid consumption, pain intensity, PONV and improves the quality of recovery and patient satisfaction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov- NCT02601651. Date of registration: November 10, 2015.

Postoperative Visual Loss Following Spine Surgery: A Case Report.

Postoperative visual loss is a rare but devastating complication of non-ophthalmic surgery. Its aetiology is poorly understood and multiple associated factors have been proposed. We present a report of a 33-year-old female who developed irreversible diminution of vision on the right eye (non-arteritic-posterior-ischemic-optic-neuropathy) following general anaesthesia for pedicle screw fixation and plating for fracture vertebrae and hip in prone position and then screw placement for fracture calcaneum in supine position. The vision loss, limited to finger count close to face on the right eye, did not improve till follow-up at one-year. The combination of mild intraoperative hypotension, anaemia, prone positioning, prolonged surgery and anaesthesia may have contributed to postoperative visual loss in our patient. Keywords: ischaemic optic neuropathy; postoperative visual loss; spine surgery.

Infected retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma masquerading as psoas abscess.

A 2-year-old male is described who presented with fever, fixed flexion deformity of the right hip and a tender mass in the right iliac fossa. A clinical diagnosis of psoas abscess was made. Abdominal ultrasound was suggestive of an echogenic retroperitoneal cyst but could not accurately determine the nature of the cyst. A contrast CT scan showed a retroperitoneal cyst. At laparotomy, a large retroperitoneal cyst containing turbid fluid was found and was excised completely. Histopathological examination was suggestive of cystic lymphangioma. Clinical presentation of retroperitoneal lymphangioma may be variable and misleading, therefore complex imaging studies are necessary in the evaluation of this condition.

Ganglioneuroma of small bowel mesentery presenting as acute abdomen.

Ganglioneuroma is a rare benign tumor, usually seen in children and young adults, arising in the central nervous system. Ganglioneuroma of the mesentery is extremely rare; only one case has been recorded. We report the second case of a primary mesentery ganglioneuroma. The patient underwent surgical intervention for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Central neural blocks: a quality assessment of anaesthesia in gynaecological surgeries.

Quality of anaesthetic care can be improved only after identifying the factors contributing to patients' discomforts and dissatisfaction. The purpose of this prospective observational study was to assess the quality of central neural blocks in terms of physiological alterations and undesired events and to find out modifiable factors associated with patients' discomforts and dissatisfaction. Total 204 female patients (ASA I and II) undergoing gynaecological surgeries received either of the subarachnoid block (SAB), combined spinal epidural anaesthesia (CSEA) or lumbar epidural anaesthesia (LEA) depending on the nature of the procedure. Intra-operative and immediate post-operative physiologic alterations and undesired effects, surgeons' rating of the operation condition and patient satisfaction (using 10 cm visual analogue scale) and acceptability of the technique were analyzed. Out of 204 patients, hypotension, bradycardia and nausea occurred in 45.1%, 17.6% and 14.7% respectively. Fifty-six (27.4%) patients experienced discomforts whereas 10.8% had tolerable pain and 4.9% patients required conversion to general anaesthesia. The main causes of discomfort in these patients were inability to move lower limbs in 35.7% and discomfort in the upper limbs in 32.1% of patients. Operating conditions were suboptimal and unacceptable in 3.9% and 4.3% of patients respectively. The mean patient satisfaction VAS score was 8.2 +/- 1.3 and patient acceptability was 90.2%. Significant failure or unacceptability (approximately in 10.0%) along with a high incidence of preventable discomforts demand improvement in preoperative patient education, intra-operative care and liberal uses of sedation to improve the quality to bring the acceptability closer to 100.0%.